The Last Story
by AliseAndrews
Summary: Yet another Daybreak pt 2 fic. This is something I just had to put down. I felt Laura was a little shortchanged in the finale, and wanted to add a little more. I hope you like it. And... Measure of a Mother update GG fic coming soon!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: This is an original story based upon the characters of Battlestar Galactica. No profit will be made from this story and no copyright infringement is intended.

Author's note: This is something I have been dreaming up since I watched the finale. While Laura's passing was beautiful, I had a little tweaking I wanted to do. This is AU, as Laura lives longer in this story. And please don't come away with the wrong meaning from the title. This is by no means MY last story for this amazing couple. :-) I hope you enjoy this first part.

Lee Adama had seen a lot of terrible things. He had seen pain, hatred, death, and had grown accustomed to it. It seemed he had known no other life except this one of the constant fight for survival. Even now, with the green and lush planet below them, and the promise of a new life, he couldn't quite erase all the bloodshed and terror even just the last 24 hours had produced. He didn't know if the future ever could look bright.

And then...he saw them, his twin pillars.

He had been waiting for them in the hangar deck, ready to fly the president to her new home. His father had told Lee he wanted the president to come with him. He wanted to get her off the ship as soon as possible.

He watched them now, walking as one towards the raptor. His dad cradled the president against him...so tender, so protecting...ready to catch her if she stumbled even a little.

"Madame President," Lee greeted her, as they climbed aboard the raptor. She had told him weeks ago to call her Laura. He never could bring himself to do that. He had lost faith in her once, and it had been a struggle to regain her trust. He was grateful for her forgiveness, her faith in him, and so he called her "Madame President," so she would know that he believed in her with all of his heart, and so she would know that for the rest of his life, she would be his president.

She gently touched his arm as she passed him and smiled back at him as his Dad set her down in the seat. He watched as his father tenderly tucked a blanket around her legs and a shawl around her shoulders.

"There you go," he said gently.

She reached up and took his hand, "Come with us," she whispered, her face betraying that she didn't want to be separated from him even for a minute.

He took her face in his hands and kissed her forehead, "Sweetheart I'll be right behind you. There's just a few last minute things I have to do here."

"Promise?" she whispered and brushed a finger down his cheek.

"I promise," he replied smiling. "Take care of her," he said to Lee as he left the raptor.

It was a fairly quiet ride down to the planet. Lee didn't want her to feel obligated to talk more than she needed to. He could tell it hurt to breathe let alone talk. He liked that there wasn't really any need to talk. Things had been awkward between them for so long after the trial, and it was just nice to sit quietly with her, enjoying the small "hmmm" sounds she made in delight as they entered the atmosphere of their new home.

"Oh Lee," she breathed as they came down over an ocean. It thrilled him to make her happy.

She turned and looked out her window as they came over land. There was a large group; it looked like a good portion of the fleet, gathered together. "Lee," she asked, "What are they doing?"

It became clearer as they approached that they were all watching the raptor approach. There was a long line of the military and she could make out Colonel Tigh and Kara.

"I think," Lee said smiling, "They are waiting for their president."

"Oh my," she whispered, her voice shaking. She brushed a tear away as the raptor landed, "Lee...I...I don't think I can walk."

Without a word he took her in his arms and walked her to the door.

"Madame President!" Colonel Tigh called out as the door opened and the entire military saluted her. Her eyes stung as Lee walked her through the ranks of the soldiers who had fought for the survival of the people she had loved. She had been so terrified of them at first; the secretary of education didn't exactly have a lot of dealings with the military. She had wondered if they ever would accept her, and when it seemed she had finally earned their trust, there came the bitter disappointment of earth and the mutiny. She had never thought she would have their trust again. With a shaking hand, she reached up and saluted back to them. Lee walked her past the rows of the military and into the crowd of civilians, who erupted into applause and yells as she passed. This was her undoing and tears rolled down her cheeks as she touched their outstretched hands. For the first time in months she felt that maybe...just maybe, she hadn't failed her people after all. She didn't deserve it, any of it. She was just a simple school teacher, thrust into a position she had never imagined let alone desired. She had loved them though, as many mistakes as she had made, dying leader or not, no leader could have loved their people more. Seeing them safe and happy filled her heart with inexpressible joy. Tears stung in Lee's eyes as well as he saw how much the people truly adored her. They surrounded her, everyone so gentle and loving, wanting to pay their final respects.

Off in the distance a raptor had landed and Bill Adama watched with a face full of pride and love from behind a tree. No one would know the real reason why he had not come down in the raptor with her. He had known what they were planning and he wanted there to be no doubt who the real hero was here. He knew she would deny it, tell him that she didn't deserve it, and that he should have been there with her to greet the people. He had been their leader, yes, he had fought with them and been ready to die for them, but what the people didn't understand...and what Laura needed to understand, was that without her...he was nothing.

He waited until the crowd had dissipated and then quietly stepped forward.

The smile that lit up her face when she saw him was more glorious than the new sun itself.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: This is an original story based upon the characters of Battlestar Galactica. No profit will be made from this story (except my own personal enjoyment) and no copyright infringement intended.

Author's Note: Thank you to all who read, and to those who reviewed the last chapter. I enjoyed writing it, so I hope that you enjoyed reading it. I am so glad there is a world of fan fiction out there. It helps me miss Laura (and Bill) less. I hope you enjoy the next installment.

He built them a little nest away from the general crowd. It was just one of the standard canopies, but as he set it up he imagined himself chopping logs and stacking them together for a cabin. He smiled at the thought. He had done some woodwork in high school, and had been good at it. He imagined making a fireplace, and carving their initials into the mantle. He would carve her a shelf to put the picture of the two of them, the picture of Zak and Lee as boys, and the picture of her and Billy together. Those were the only possessions they had any more, the only things they couldn't bear to leave behind. He would build her a porch that she could sit out on and watch the beautiful world around them.

It was her coughing that brought him back to reality.

Even now she still tried to smother it for his sake.

He moved towards her immediately, taking his water canteen and bringing it to her lips.

"You okay?" he asked gently, after it had past.

She nodded slowly.

"This is almost done," he said as he gave her a quick kiss on her mouth, "And then you and I are going to watch the sunset together."

She smiled lovingly at him, reaching up a hand and caressing his cheek with her thumb. "I'll be waiting."

The canopy was finished, and she giggled slightly as he carried her inside and told her he was "carrying her across the threshold." Kara and Lee arrived shortly after with a dinner fit for a queen, a large container of some sweet wild berries, and some fresh sparkling water that was more tempting than anything had been for a long time. They all ate together, laughing and smiling; the berries staining their mouths. Laura beamed with happiness and Bill smiled as he watched, grateful to whatever gods were out there, that his Laura would know joy again before she left. This was their family. He breathed a deep sigh and unconsciously took her hand in his as he thought about it...this was their family. He felt her weakly squeeze his hand and heard her hum in pleasure. Suddenly there was a pain stabbing him as he remembered again that he was losing her, and losing her soon. That hum reminded him of all the little things he would miss, the soft skin of her hands, the sculpted cheekbones he loved to kiss, her giggle, even her glasses. He realized this would probably be the last time they would be together as a family and he wanted it to last, this happiness he had never really known. He wanted Lee and Kara to stay with them, but at the same time he was selfish and ached to have her to himself. Lee and Kara seemed to sense that it was time to go, and both kissed Laura's cheek and gave Bill a smile as they walked away.

"They're lovely," Laura said smiling as she watched them go.

"You're lovely," Bill leaned over and whispered in her ear.

She cuddled up against him, and he wrapped his arms around her, placing his head against hers.

The sky was beginning to turn pink and gold and a delicious evening scent permeated the air. He reached over and kissed the side of her temple, her cheekbone, and her jaw line.

"I love you," he whispered into her skin.

"I love you back," she replied.

The sky was glorious. White puffy clouds sailed against a gold backdrop, and there were some mountains in the distance that looked almost purple. He took her left hand in his and sliding off the gold wedding band he had worn for so long, he lovingly placed it on her ring finger.

"For my wife," he said smiling as she looked up at him, "For my beautiful Laura."

Her lower lip trembled, and tears shone in her eyes as she nestled closer to him. "Your...wife," she repeated happily, holding her hand against brilliant sky, causing the gold to sparkle.

They watched until the sun had disappeared, and little specks of silver permeated the sky.

"There...that one," she whispered pointing to a bright star.

"What?" he asked kissing the side of her temple again.

"That's your star," she replied. "It's name is Adama."

"Is it now?" he asked, turning to her and smiling.

She chuckled slowly, which again turned into a cough, "I'm...the...president...it's named Adama,"

He reached for the water again, and helped her sit up as she took it.

"Besides," she said after she had caught her breath, "You named the planet...I get to name the star."

"Yes mam," he said as he tenderly laid her back and down and took her in his arms again.

"It's so that when you...get lonely...you can look up in the sky...and know that there was a woman...who loved...you...so very much."

He wouldn't cry...he had sworn to himself that he wouldn't cry until it was over. Instead, he swallowed and brought his hand up to her cheek.

"That is beautiful," he said quietly.

"For...my...husband," she breathed.

He wrapped more blankets around her as the air became more cool, and the wrapped his arms around her again to give her more warmth.

"Tired," she whispered; her eyelids droopy.

He knew he would not sleep. He would watch the rise and fall of her chest all night long.

"You sleep," he replied, _whether for tonight or always_ "I'm right here."

"Bill..." she said after a minute.

"What Baby?"

"Promise me you won't leave me...ever...not until it happens."

If it was possible for his heart to break anymore, it just had.

He reached up and stroked the head that lay against his heart...reassuring the woman who was his heart.

"I promise."


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: This is an original story based upon the characters of Battlestar Galactica. No profit will be made from this story and no copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note: Like a lot of people, I was a little confused about why Bill left Lee forever. When I watched the finale again, I caught something that made more since and decided to go with it. This chapter kind of explains what I think happened.

She slept peacefully, thank the gods, and while she slept he memorized her. He remembered back to the late night talks he and Saul had after Ellen died.

_"I've got pictures, but it's not the same...there's so much I've forgotten about her already." _

He had told him that on one particularly bad night, and Bill had placed his hand on his friend's shoulder as Saul sobbed out his bitter pain.

In a way he was jealous of Saul. In a way, he would have given anything to have Laura been the final cylon.

But there would be no resurrection technology for his love, and so he watched her sleep, committing to memory everything about her, as if his very sanity depended on it.

He wanted to remember each and every kind of smile, the way her glasses slid to the edge of her nose when she was concentrating, the way her forehead wrinkled when she was angry, and the way it felt to kiss each wrinkle until the anger disappeared. He wanted to remember every suit and every blouse, the way they smelled, and the way they felt. He wanted to remember her scent, the way she tasted, every sound from her sweet voice. Even a lifetime together wouldn't be enough for him, and he was limited to hours. He wanted Laura's vision of the afterlife to be true. He wanted so badly to believe in eternity.

As the night moved on, he tried to imagine her as a little girl. He imagined her quiet, but mischievous, with long brown hair, and those beautiful green eyes. He tried to imagine her sisters, and her parents, picturing her at happy family gatherings. After that he started imagining her in high school, breaking into effervescent giggles during debate tournaments, walking home from school with her friends, and in a long beautiful prom dress. He pictured her as a young teacher, wondering how many people she had truly affected over her life time. He tried to imagine the two of them meeting then, and how different his life had been if he had found her earlier. He could picture it so clearly, going on dates with each other, talking together until early in the morning. He could see her coming towards him down the aisle, wearing a long white dress and imagined himself lovingly pulling back a lacy white veil to see her lovely face. He would have built her a house with a big backyard, and a cabin in the mountains for vacations.

It wasn't that he didn't love Carolanne. He had, he was sure of that. She had given him his two boys and several good years. But his love for Laura was richer and deeper than anything he had ever felt before. Perhaps Carolanne had been preparation for the great love of his life. Suddenly hot tears burned in his eyes and his hand hovered over her face. It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair. He had known so many men in the service who had been unfaithful to their wives. He would have cherished his Laura all the rest of his days.

She stirred against him and her eyelids slowly opened.

"Hey," she whispered.

"Hey yourself," he replied smiling, lightly caressing her cheek with his knuckles, "You need to rest."

"Time enough for that," she replied. She looked up into his eyes, "Just hold me."

He cradled her gently but securely in his arms and then kissed the top of her head. She put her head against his heart and sighed softly.

"I love...your...heart."

He kissed the top of her head again. He would never have enough of kissing her.

They laid together in silence for a little while and he was beginning to wonder if she had drifted off to sleep.

"I don't...want...to leave...you," she said quietly, breathlessly.

The pain pierced him. He could feel it slicing into him.

_I don't want to be left._

He reached down and turned her face up to see him, "I will love you all the rest of my life."

She smiled, those smiles that were still so brilliant they caused his skin to tingle.

"You sleep now," he ordered gently.

"Yes sir...okay sir...anything you say...sir," she said as she cuddled up against him.

_I don't want to be left. _

She had been absolutely right. He was terrified of being left alone. He was afraid of what he would become without her.

_Sine qua non...it was such a terrifying concept. _

He had Lee, Kara, and Saul. They had been his family for years. But Saul had Ellen, and Lee and Kara had each other.

Lee...his brave boy; another gift on this journey.

_"Lee! Lee! Where are you?" He wasn't used to this feeling of panic, Lee had been missing from camp for an hour and he was ready to explode. _

_"Over here Dad!" came the reply from a group of pine trees. _

_He had ran over to the grove of trees and pulled his son against his chest, "You all right?" _

_"I'm fine Dad," Lee said, wiggling out of his embrace. "I wanted to explore the river." _

_"You scared...your mother half to death," Bill replied sharply, but the boy's enthusiasm couldn't be diminished, "Dad, you've got to see this! I found these really cool red rocks, and look at this old tree!" _

_He was about to order Lee back to camp, but in twenty-four more hours he would go back to being a commander. As he looked into his son's bright eyes, he realized he just wanted to be a daddy. _

Lee had always loved exploring. He would spend the time in between Bill's leaves planning excursions into the mountains, and when Bill was home the three of them would pack backpacks and explore the countryside, visiting caves and ancient monuments.

_"What do you want me to do Carolanne?" he snapped, "The boy wants to join the military." _

_"Tell him you don't want him to!" _

_"I'm not going to do that! He wants to join!" _

_"Bill...he's not telling you the truth. He wants to join to pay for school. He's interested in nature. He always has been. He would die out there." _

_"That's ridiculous. He's not twelve years old anymore. The military will prepare him for life." _

_Carolanne snickered, in that way that always made him feel so stupid, "Yes, what a life, just look at you." _

It was ironic that the son didn't want the military, didn't want to follow in his father's footsteps, was the one that was the pilot, and the one whose dream it was...would never follow in any footsteps, or make ones of his own. Zak had always been the mediator between them.

_"What Dad means to say is..." _

_"Dad, give Lee a chance to explain." _

After Zak was gone, the connection with Lee was gone too.

The two years after Zak's death had been the hardest of his life. He had felt so alone.

And then the world had ended and little by little father and son had reconnected. It had been a long road.

"_Bill," she said gently, "Talk to him," _

_"After what he did to you today? After what he did to Saul? He sold you both out for Gaius Baltar! That is not the son I raised!" he pounded his fist on the desk, causing Laura to jump a little. _

_"Hmmm...doing what he thinks is right, pig-headed, stubborn, and a little scary when he's angry, no...I think that is the boy you raised," she said smiling slightly at him. _

_"This is not funny!" he barked. _

_"Bill...I'm not going to stand here and let what the two of you have built these last few years disintegrate. He's your son," she kept her voice steady, even as his rose again. _

_"My son wouldn't have done that to you!" _

_"He did," she replied. "And that's between him and me." _

_He sat down in his desk chair and clenched and unclenched his fist together. _

_"He knows you love him," she brought a hand over and lightly touched his elbow, "You know that right?" _

_"What do you mean?" _

_"He knows you love him. I've seen the way you look at him. You're so proud of him. He's seen it too. You don't have to worry about that anymore. He knows." _

He did love Lee. He loved him and it was so hard to tell him. He hadn't been able to give him much in his life. A nice home, yes...a check every month to provide for his needs, packages on his birthday, but in the end he had never really been there for him, until these last few years on Galactica. He was a man now, a man Bill was so proud of. Suddenly the memory of Lee finding him after Saul's confession to being a cylon came to him. He had been lying there, in a crying, drunken stupor.

"_Come on Dad," Lee had dragged him over to the head and held him while he cried. _

_He had brought him to bed, tucking him in and staying with him until he fell asleep, just like Bill himself had done with his old man. Lee deserved better. _

_"Why are you doing this?" his son the president asked him. _

_"Because I can't live without her," he replied. _

_Not "I don't want to..." or "I'll find it hard to..._" _but "I can't." _

_Sine qua non...such a terrifying concept. _

In the darkness of the night he made a decision, one that caused more pain to slice through him like shards of glass.

He didn't know what he would be like when she died.

Lee deserved better. His mother had been right.

Now there was a new world, a new chance, and his boy would get to explore it to his heart's content.

And though it tore him up inside...

Bill would let him go.


End file.
